The number of NFL teams competing for the Lombardi Trophy is down to just eight.
This week's divisional round features top seeds baltimore ravens and san francisco 49ers He will make his playoff debut in 2024. They are a sure-fire favorite to play in Super Bowl LVIII, but will they be able to become a team like this? detroit lions or buffalo bills Do you want to spoil the potential matchup in the final NFL game?
Or will we see Patrick Mahomes lead the way? kansas city chiefs To win the title for the third time in five years?
With a quarter of the NFL's 32 teams still standing, there are a variety of potential Super Bowl matchups. Which one will bring you the most excitement?
Here are the best matchups from the ongoing Super Bowl LVIII.
Honorable mention
Chiefs vs. bucks: Even though big names like Tyreek Hill, Rob Gronkowski, and Tom Brady will be absent, this is a big deal since the two teams faced off in Super Bowl LVI.
Ravens vs. Lions: Looks like a good game on paper, but it's hard to forget that the Ravens beat Detroit 38-6 in Week 7, which takes a bit of the shine off this potential matchup.
texans vs. Bucks: The Texans have never been to the Super Bowl, but the Bucs will be the first No. 7 seed in playoff history to go to the Super Bowl, but that possibility only became more likely in 2020. is. And the Bucks just won the Super Bowl. LVI when Brady was still around.
No. 5: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions
What better way to end the 2023 NFL season than with a rematch of the game that started the season?
It was the Chiefs who hoisted the latest Super Bowl banner in the opening game, but it was the Lions who emerged victorious with a stunning 21-20 upset, marking the team's first season since 1991 (and perhaps its best season in history). I set the tone. It depends on how it ends).
This also has the potential for some big fireworks, as the Lions are the fifth-best scorer offensively, but the 10th-worst defensively.
Additionally, these teams often play one-score games. This season, the Chiefs had 11 games decided by one point, compared to eight for the Lions, nine including a 24-23 wild-card win over the Rams.
There's also a David and Goliath aspect to where these franchises sit within the NFL hierarchy. In the Super Bowl era, which dates back to 1967, the Lions have won only two playoff games, their second postseason win just a week ago, and have never appeared in a Super Bowl.
Chiefs? They've been to five Super Bowls and won three of them, two of them in the last four years, and will probably win a few more as long as Mahomes is around.
No. 4: Buffalo Bills vs. San Francisco 49ers
Without the Ravens, the Bills would have a strong case as the best team in the AFC. They also have the offensive power to match his vaunted 49ers defense.
Josh Allen is adept at avoiding pressure and finding one of the dynamic pass-catcher trio of Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis and Dalton Kincaid.
On the other hand, they'll be lucky if they can stop the 49ers' offensive juggernaut, led by MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey. This matchup could very well be a shootout determined by who gets possession last.
And what better way for the Bills to win their first Super Bowl than against a team that has already won five Lombardi Trophies?
3rd place: Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers
These are probably two of the best NFL franchises since the 2019 season. That was when Kyle Shanahan finally had his breakout year, leading San Francisco to big games with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Shanahan's offense has improved significantly thanks to acquiring a true franchise QB in Brock Purdy and surrounding himself with some of the league's best offensive skill players in Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. It has evolved dramatically since then.
But it was Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs who won that Super Bowl, rallying from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to surprise the 49ers and win 31-20, the first of Mahomes' two titles. It became.
Mahomes is trying to establish himself as the greatest QB of all time, and a third Lombardi in five years could put him in the GOAT conversation.
2nd place: Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers
If you're simply looking to compare the best in the AFC to the best in the NFC, it's hard to argue against the Ravens vs. Niners. Both teams had the best records in their respective conferences throughout the season, rising to the No. 1 seed.
Lamar Jackson and Brock Purdy are poised to be among the best QBs in the NFL for the foreseeable future, but either will have to face an elite defense on the game's biggest stage to win their first Lombardi Trophy. Dew. Jackson will likely win his second NFL MVP award. In a year where he requested a trade but no other team heard from him, what better way to end this game than with his first Super Bowl trophy?
Plus, it's really fun to watch Lamar Jackson play football.
What takes some of the luster away from this potential matchup is that both teams just met in San Francisco in Week 16. The Ravens dominated the game, winning 33-19 after leading by 21 points entering the fourth quarter.
It also includes a storyline in which John Harbaugh seeks to win his second Super Bowl against the same franchise that won his first matchup. He unceremoniously fired his brother Jim Harbaugh..
No. 1: Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions
What could be better than an underdog story? A story of two underdogs!
It may seem counterintuitive to call the 12-6 Bills and 13-5 Lions underdog teams, but they are definitely underdog franchises.
After all, neither has ever won a Super Bowl. The Lions had never been to the playoffs before, but they just ended a 31-year playoff drought with a thrilling 24-23 wild-card victory over the Rams.
The Bills, on the other hand, have only appeared in the conference championship once since 1994. And it wasn't that long ago that they endured a 17-year playoff drought that ended with the 2017 season. At the time, this was the longest non-playoff drought in North American professional sports.
The Bills entered the season as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl, but after starting 5-5, they fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey in Week 10 and quickly fell out of favor after starting the season 6-6. did. Buffalo had to win to advance to the playoffs, but the Chiefs, Cowboys, Dolphin.
Indeed, both, e.g. packers and the Bucks, but those two franchises combined have six Super Bowl wins in history, four of which have come since 1996.
Plus, it's hard not to root for Dan Campbell. And wouldn't it be great to see Damar Hamlin at the Super Bowl, the man he almost lost his life to just a year ago?
This is a matchup to root for.
